Former Eagles Safety Brian Dawkins Has Announced His Retirement

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PHILADELPHIA (CBS) – Brian Dawkins has played his last down in the NFL.

Dawkins announced his retirement via Twitter today:

“The lord has blessed me to play in the NFL for 16 years. I would like to thank the Eagles & the Broncos 4 believing in me. I would like 2 thank all my teammates & coaches that I have been blessed to go to battle with. Along with u, the fans, 4 helping make my career 1 that i have enjoyed tremendously. In other words. I am announcing my retirement from the NFL.”

Dawkins played sixteen seasons in the NFL, thirteen of them with the Eagles. He spent the last three seasons with the Denver Broncos. Dawkins was selected for the Pro Bowl eight times, and was an All-Pro four times.

“Brian Dawkins is one of my all-time favorite players and one of the best to ever put on an Eagles uniform,” Eagles owner Jeffrey Lurie said in a press release. “On the field, in many ways, Brian re-invented the safety position. He had the speed and athleticism to line up against the game’s best receivers, and was equally effective in the run game. His love for the game was infectious and he poured his entire heart and soul into everything he was doing from the moment he entered the stadium until he left. Everyone who ever watched Brian play saw that and it was impossible not to love that about him. He was one of the best leaders to ever play here.

“Off the field, it is no secret that Brian was a fan-favorite. But as much as the fans loved him, I can tell you that he loved them back with equal intensity. His transformation from a mild-mannered, humble man during the week to an energized, ferocious, spark plug on gamedays was evidence of that. We have been working with Brian for a few weeks and look forward to honoring him in front of our fans as one of the greatest Eagles ever when we play the Giants on September 30th.”